Link of the Week

As far as content for social media goes, video reigns supreme. But churning out quality video takes a massive investment of time and energy. Lumen 5 gives you the power to create an eye-catching piece of video content for your social media channels without a digital crew. Drag in a static text link or local file, and Lumen 5 automatically suggests video clips, photographs, and captions for a compelling visual story for your brand. Did we mention there's a free plan?

Growth Tools

Using automated-workflow tools like Zapier is like having another employee. This comprehensive list of Zapier recipes from Courtney Seiter at Buffer will make tedious tasks like sharing across your channels, blasting out reminders for events, and tracking social mentions a breeze. Our favorite? Connecting Google Sheets to Buffer for the ultimate posting backlog. Be sure not to miss out on these lightning-fast hacks.

According to Social Media Today, 90% of followers attempt to reach out to brands on social media platforms. If you're in eCommerce or have eCommerce clients, this post by Nicolas Lekkas describes why it's crucial for brands to be moving their communications, and in some cases their entire funnel, onto social media. Read to learn how you can leverage Instagram shopping and Facebook messenger chatbots to propel your business and outsell the competition

If you've never run a contest to grow your subscriber base, this article by digital marketing expert Jack Paxton will show you exactly how to do it. Learn to create and market contests that can be as effective as paid acquisition. Read on to discover how foundr Magazine, Walmart, and Warner Bros used viral contests to drive their email lists, and promote their brand, and how you can do the same.

Facebook

Do you use data to drive your advertising on Facebook? This quick read from Andrew Tate distills down the optimal length and formatting of the 3 key components of every Facebook Ad, headline, main text, and news-feed link description. But there's more, read on to learn the perfect landing page funnel that maximizes conversions after your audience clicks through.

Instagram

Trying to grow on Instagram? This piece by Jan Orsula describes the exact strategies you need to use to muscle your way into the top 9 posts for every trending hashtag in your industry. Immediately actionable tactics that can help you realize growth right away.